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PBCL Stage 5: Field Insights

With Problem-Based Case Learning (PBCL), students work in teams to develop and present solutions to real-world problems. In this video from Making Learning Real, an IT instructor and his students talk about how the PBCL methodology helps students learn about new technologies, discover answers on their own, and observe an actual work environment.

The Problem-Based Case Learning (PBCL) process unfolds in nine stages. At first, a business partner and an instructor are matched together. They then create a real business problem and present the problem to their students. Next, the students, working in teams, refine their definition of the problem—what it is, what they know about it, and what they need to know about it.

In the fifth stage, Field Insights, students work to attain a deeper understanding of the problem. To accomplish this, they conduct research, using a variety of PBCL tools and techniques to organize the information, share insights, and integrate knowledge from multiple sources. For instance, students may interview industry experts in addition to communicating with the business partner. In this video, students visit their college’s networking room to gain a real understanding of how networks are built.

In the next stage, Resource Development, students complete their research and hypothesize solutions to the problem.

How does PBCL support the instructor’s description of his role as “facilitator” and his students’ description of the way they prefer to learn?

While PBCL originated in two-year colleges’ technical education programs, secondary schools have applied the methodology with success to a wide range of STEM content. What businesses can you visit to conduct interviews with industry experts?